Colm O'Rourke vs. the GPA

[Eamonnca1]

How much do you think Hawk Eye should cost then? Do you see a better deal somewhere?

[orangeman]

How much do you think Hawk Eye should cost then? Do you see a better deal somewhere?

Hire these. Cheaper than Hawkeye. All we need is umpires to have a better view of the action.

http://www.heightforhire.ie/en/hire/vertical-lift

[Zulu]

And not surprising you can't see the wood from the trees with the comments above.

Please enlighten me.


Your example is about as logical as as giving out about a plumbers union not demanding better pay for nurses! The GPA don't represent club players, now maybe they should but then they would need massive resources and funding and are you willing to give them that? On top of that, what do you expect them to do about fixtures in 32 separate constituencies who all have different competition formats, challenges and priorities? They haven't even agitated for a change to the daft IC season because they can't get consensus amongst the fairly small group of IC players we have, what chance could they have of getting consensus amongst thousand upon thousands of players?? It's patently daft to criticise them for not dealing with club fixtures and that is why this is GPA bashing and nothing more.

By the way what is wrong with helping out former IC players, should we abandon them once they can no longer play? Perish the thought we help players who have given so much on the field with a bit of guidance/support for life off it. Far better we give out about the GPA not doing the job others should be doing rather than acknowledging the good things they are doing.

[lynchbhoy]

How much do you think Hawk Eye should cost then? Do you see a better deal somewhere?

there are plenty of alternatives.

yes hawkeye is way too expensive.

[lynchbhoy]

And not surprising you can't see the wood from the trees with the comments above.

Please enlighten me.


Your example is about as logical as as giving out about a plumbers union not demanding better pay for nurses! The GPA don't represent club players, now maybe they should but then they would need massive resources and funding and are you willing to give them that? On top of that, what do you expect them to do about fixtures in 32 separate constituencies who all have different competition formats, challenges and priorities? They haven't even agitated for a change to the daft IC season because they can't get consensus amongst the fairly small group of IC players we have, what chance could they have of getting consensus amongst thousand upon thousands of players?? It's patently daft to criticise them for not dealing with club fixtures and that is why this is GPA bashing and nothing more.

By the way what is wrong with helping out former IC players, should we abandon them once they can no longer play? Perish the thought we help players who have given so much on the field with a bit of guidance/support for life off it. Far better we give out about the GPA not doing the job others should be doing rather than acknowledging the good things they are doing.

surely the object of this was to assist current intercounty players who cant get jobs or who need educational assistance to secure employment and keep them at home so they can play for their county.
Also if ex players are given benefits- where does it stop? will we be giving scholarships to the midfielders of the 1982 midfielders from offaly's all Ireland winning football team, or elocution lessons to pat spillane!
Giving non current intercounty players is akin to giving awards or grants to normal club players is it not?

the GAA or GPA are not a welfare system. Plenty from my own home club have had to emigrate to get work. Id love if we could get at least one of them into further education so that they could play for the club and potentially the county again too!

I suppose we all just want to see a breakdown of costs and grants/awards and transparency from the GAA (and GPA)

[BennyHarp]

Baring in mind people on here have made it clear that the GPA doesn't represent club players, what constitutes an eligible county player? 1 season? 2 seasons? A few games in the McKenna cup?

[johnneycool]

Baring in mind people on here have made it clear that the GPA doesn't represent club players, what constitutes a county player in the eyes of the GPA? 1 season? 2 seasons? A few games in the McKenna cup?

Training panel etc, etc??

For the record, they're all club players first and foremost, it just so happens some are good enough and dedicated enough to be rewarded as intercounty players.

If its a burden, then move on, someone else will take your place.

[Zulu]

surely the object of this was to assist current intercounty players who cant get jobs or who need educational assistance to secure employment and keep them at home so they can play for their county.

Surely it doesn't have to stop there, does it? I don't know when or how you stop being a member of the GPA but I have no issue with the GPA helping out ex-IC players get ahead in life. I'd have no problem if they did that for all GAA players but do all GAA players apply themselves to their club as much as they should and who will pay for thousands of players going to university or getting business start up advice? It isn't a perfect system by any means but I don't think there is much merit in criticising something because it isn't perfect.

If its a burden, then move on, someone else will take your place.

So we should demand a huge amount but give nothing back in return and if they don't like it piss off?

[screenexile]

I suppose the main gripe with the GPA is how elitist it is. Maybe when it was on its own and raising its own revenues etc. that was understandable but now members from every club in the Country pay into it and they are only representing the chosen elite athletes that are playing at County Level.

When it came under the umbrella of the GAA as a whole it should have been changed to a full representative body for all players. It's not too late to do it but some work needs done on what that would look like and how it would operate.

It should be the next step in my opinion.

[johnneycool]

surely the object of this was to assist current intercounty players who cant get jobs or who need educational assistance to secure employment and keep them at home so they can play for their county.

Surely it doesn't have to stop there, does it? I don't know when or how you stop being a member of the GPA but I have no issue with the GPA helping out ex-IC players get ahead in life. I'd have no problem if they did that for all GAA players but do all GAA players apply themselves to their club as much as they should and who will pay for thousands of players going to university or getting business start up advice? It isn't a perfect system by any means but I don't think there is much merit in criticising something because it isn't perfect.

If its a burden, then move on, someone else will take your place.

So we should demand a huge amount but give nothing back in return and if they don't like it piss off?

Who's demanding a huge amount?

[blewuporstuffed]

I have no problem whatso ever with some of the work the GPA does for county and ex county players with scholarships and assiantance in getting work etc.
I am also aware that to roll that out across ALL players just isnt feasible, but i do feel they could stiill represent the views of the broader group of club players and lobby for thier interests.
Things like player burnout (for ALL players not just IC ones) and the fixtures mess should be things that the GPA could working on with the GAA and representing the players interests in.
To me, that would go along way in proving their worth to the standard GAA player rather than the elitist, jobs for the boys organisation that they are now percieved as.

[Bingo]

And not surprising you can't see the wood from the trees with the comments above.

Please enlighten me.


Your example is about as logical as as giving out about a plumbers union not demanding better pay for nurses! The GPA don't represent club players, now maybe they should but then they would need massive resources and funding and are you willing to give them that? On top of that, what do you expect them to do about fixtures in 32 separate constituencies who all have different competition formats, challenges and priorities? They haven't even agitated for a change to the daft IC season because they can't get consensus amongst the fairly small group of IC players we have, what chance could they have of getting consensus amongst thousand upon thousands of players?? It's patently daft to criticise them for not dealing with club fixtures and that is why this is GPA bashing and nothing more.

By the way what is wrong with helping out former IC players, should we abandon them once they can no longer play? Perish the thought we help players who have given so much on the field with a bit of guidance/support for life off it. Far better we give out about the GPA not doing the job others should be doing rather than acknowledging the good things they are doing.

Zulu - I know a lad who plays hurling. He is on the Monaghan Hurling Panel, why - because he will turn up. Plain and simple. He doesn't get playing for the club senior hurling team. They won an Ulster Junior Hurling title last weekend and he never seen a minute of action in the Ulster campaign. He got a bit of action in the county run in, as they had it fairly handy but he didn't play in the final.

By definition though he is a county hurler.

Say he wants to go to college to do a masters - is he entitled to a scholarship? Will the GPA pay his course fees? Is he entitled to this?

I think what a lot are getting at is, is the GPA a level playing field? Is every county play automatically a member or do they have to register as one? Either way, is every "member" then entitled to the same benefits and supports? Or is this available at the judgement of the people in charge?

Further more, how is the people in charge selected? I've no idea if at the AGM there is elections or what happens.

I'm sure that they have supports in place for everyone who approaches them and that seems very positive and working well.
I'm also sure that they will support players with profiles who are in demand by various commercial operations and they'll ensure that the players are properly rewarded and not exploited. Again, no problem there, certain players will attract media attention and commercial deals, its the nature of marketing.

However, the two areas that seem to be in doubt are Player welfare and these benefits. Is it a level playing field when it comes to certain benefits. If Jason Sherlock is entitled to a scholarship then who decided he was and how is it operated? If its a clear and transparent process, fair enough. The fear is its an old pals club, much like the irish politican system that we 've all known to hate.

On player welfare, we never seem to hear much on them on the club situation. I don't expect them to represent every club player but Inter county players are club players too and they can't be benefiting from the fixtures situation. Maybe as Dessie says they involved but Eugene McGee who is with the FRC doesn't seem to think so.

[BennyHarp]

I have no problem whatso ever with some of the work the GPA does for county and ex county players with scholarships and assiantance in getting work etc.
I am also aware that to roll that out across ALL players just isnt feasible, but i do feel they could stiill represent the views of the broader group of club players and lobby for thier interests.
Things like player burnout (for ALL players not just IC ones) and the fixtures mess should be things that the GPA could working on with the GAA and representing the players interests in.
To me, that would go along way in proving their worth to the standard GAA player rather than the elitist, jobs for the boys organisation that they are now percieved as.

I agree, I think they should, at least, be a lobbying voice on behalf of the club player. I'm not suggesting the club player deserves money, grants, scholarships etc but they do deserve some representation by the GPA on issues like getting the club fixtures right. This is one of the biggest challenges facing the GAA but by basically brushing off this issue as having nothing to do with them makes the GPA appear at bit elitist.

[Zulu]

I think the GPA pays for itself, yes it gets money off the GAA but that is money generated by the IC game. It also fundraises itself and provides elite players with a valuable support structure. I don't think a GPA representing all players is realistic, there's just too many players and far too many diverse issues for anything other than a massive highly funded players body to be able to cope. I don't understand why people can't accept that the GPA are doing a valuable job for an important section of our membership while looking for other ways to help other sections of the membership. When I read some of the criticism of the GPA here it strikes me as something akin to berating a guy who gives thousands to cancer research for not doing the same for the save the Whales campaign!

[Zulu]

surely the object of this was to assist current intercounty players who cant get jobs or who need educational assistance to secure employment and keep them at home so they can play for their county.

Surely it doesn't have to stop there, does it? I don't know when or how you stop being a member of the GPA but I have no issue with the GPA helping out ex-IC players get ahead in life. I'd have no problem if they did that for all GAA players but do all GAA players apply themselves to their club as much as they should and who will pay for thousands of players going to university or getting business start up advice? It isn't a perfect system by any means but I don't think there is much merit in criticising something because it isn't perfect.

If its a burden, then move on, someone else will take your place.

So we should demand a huge amount but give nothing back in return and if they don't like it piss off?

Who's demanding a huge amount?

You, me, everyone. Look at the reaction to the Tipp lads having a few drinks earlier on in the year. The players and coaching staff push it on too but you can't say that we don't all do it as well. I've yet to read a post here where a guy says 'Let Donegal, Dublin or Kilkenny do what they do, our lads are entitled to a few pints and a fry up of a Sunday and I'll travel the country supporting them as they get their asses handed to them from teams better prepared and more tactically aware. I'm just happy we have young men still willing to train once a week and take it handy on the beer during the summer'.